To Fall
by words-with-dragons
Summary: "No one ever fell in love gracefully." - Connie Brockway. / To fall in love is never easy, and the act of loving someone is one that takes a lifetime. OR, Kai and Jinora, from the very beginning to the very end. Rated T for later chapters. /
1. Prologue

**A/N: I plan on this being the motherfic of all Kainora fics, which seems only appropriate considering this is probably the first multichaptered fic for the pairing. This prologue is roughly just recounting Kai and Jinora's first meeting with a little insight on Jinora's feelings throughout. Part of me wanted to start later, but this is going to be their story, from the very beginning, so it felt only right to start from here. That being said, feel free to only start reading at chapter one, which will simply be building on canon and filling things in from behind the scenes/what's implied.**

**My goal is to have this all comply with canon so things that happen in the episodes will happen in here/be mentioned. Until season 4 comes along this story will temporarily go on Hiatus. I'll be using that time to plan out things that the TV show will not cover - as in Kai and Jinora's teenage years, travels and life in general.**

**This fic is going to be long, and fluffy, and sad and happy and everything in between.**

**After all, to fall in love is never easy, and the act of loving someone is one that takes a lifetime. So, without further ado, here is the prologue of "To Fall."**

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><p><span><strong>To Fall<strong>

ACT I: to fall

PROLOGUE

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><p>All in all, Jinora thought that their airbending show had gone pretty well. The crowd seemed impressed, even if Mako hadn't been a fantastic actor as the firebender convict. Hopefully word would get out, and some airbenders would want to join them.<p>

If the thought of airbenders not wanting to help rebuild the Air Nomad nation was disheartening to her, she could only imagine how it made her dad feel. She had been so excited about the prospect of new airbenders – she and her family weren't going to be alone, anymore – but quickly found disappointment in the citizens who had been given the ability.

As the rest of the crowd left, a tan-skinned boy ran up to them. _He's cute, _Jinora thought briefly. He was around her age, probably a year older, dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes, with dark, messy hair and bright green eyes.

"Hey," the boy said, smiling. "Hello. If you're looking for airbenders, you just found one." He crouched down and did a couple of moves. They were fairly simple, but the fact it was obviously self-taught left Jinora feeling impressed nonetheless. "I wanna join you guys," the boy continued.

Jinora grinned – their first new airbender.

"Get outta town!" Bolin said excitedly.

"We got our first recruit," Korra said to Tenzin, both smiling widely. Then the Avatar turned to the boy. "Just to be totally clear, we're going to be heading to Ba Sing Se, then the Northern Air Temple to live as nomads and rebuild the Air Nation. All that sound good to you?"

"Yeah. Ba Sing Se, rebuild the temple, Air Nomad whadoyado. I'm in. Let's go right now." Well, he was eager, to say the least.

Bolin gave a little jump. "This is gonna be so great! You're gonna love it, er… uh, real quick what's your name?" Jinora couldn't help the little giggle she did at Bolin's antics.

"Kai," the boy replied. _Kai, _Jinora repeated mentally. It was a nice name, she decided. "So, when do we hit the road?"

"Hang on Kai," Tenzin said. "Where are your parents? We can't have you come with us without their permission."

Kai looked downwards, his smile gone. Even before he spoke, Jinora felt she knew the answer: "My parents are… gone."

"You're an orphan?" Bolin asked sadly.

"It happened about a year ago. My home town was raided by outlaws, but my parents fought back against them. I was so scared, but they told me not to worry they would protect me, and they did. My parents saved me and the entire village, but they died in the fight," Kai explained.

Jinora looked at him sadly. Poor kid. She couldn't even imagine going through that.

"Mum and pap meant everything to me, they're were my whole life. Ever since then, I've been on the run. Those same outlaws are still after me," Kai finished.

"Well, you don't have to be on the run anymore," Bolin declared, casting a look at the rest of them. "Right guys? Tell him."

"I'm so sorry about your parents. I know we could never replace them..." Tenzin put a hand on Kai's shoulder. "But we are here for you."

"We'll keep you safe," Korra said. "Come on."

Bolin wrapped an arm around Kai's shoulders. "When you board this airship, you're going to leave your old life behind and start a new path. That's big brother advice. Just think of me as your big brother." Kai smiled at Bolin.

They all boarded the airship again. Jinora wondered what it would be like with Kai. How would things change? And it was going to be fun having another airbender that wasn't someone in her family. They could become friends. The thought made her stomach do a flip flop.

After everyone boards the airship, Mako stops and walks away from the group. He stares out a window and sees a group of motorcyclists outside their airship.

"Guys!" Mako called. Jinora turned around to see him staring out the window, and on the ground are a gang of motorcyclists. "I think we got trouble."

The lead motorcyclist got off his motorcycle and took his helmet off, walking up the airship before removing his glasses.

"Release the boy, or we'll take him by force," the man ordered. He clenched his fist and the men around him all got into fighting stances with rocks levitating a few feet off the ground.

"The outlaws!" Kai said worriedly. "They're here … Uh, let's get out of here." He grabbed Korra's arm.

She looked down at him. "We are not running away from anyone," she told him. The door of the airship opened. She yelled, "If you want Kai, you'll have to go through me!"

The earthbenders launched the rocks towards Korra, but she avoided them easily. Jinora was proud she could see the 'evade and avoid' tactic of airbending now perfectly integrated into Korra's fighting style, and how far Korra had come with her airbending. The men were no match for the Avatar, and within a few minutes and a well-placed earthbending move, Korra had beaten the leader of the group.

"Your days of harassing an innocent boy is over. You outlaws are going to prison," Korra told him confidently.

"Outlaws? Innocent boy?" the man repeated. "I'm a sheriff," he glanced at the badge on his chest before looking back up at Korra, "and these are my deputies, and this kid is a thief."

Jinora's eyes widened. What? Kai was a liar? A thief? No.

"Whatever he told you was a lie, we've been chasing him for months."

"Where's Kai?" Korra demanded, looking back at them

Mako was pulling Kai by the arm, scowling. "Right here, I found him slipping away."

"I was just going to the bathroom..." he tried weakly. [Kai gets cut off.]

"With your stash of gold?" Mako retorted, cutting him off. He threw a green sack on the ground, gold coins spilling out along with some jewelry.

"I told you, I found this on the road," Kai insisted. But it was obviously a lie. Jinora felt her heart plummet.

"Enough with the lies kid. I want the truth," Mako said sternly. The firebender and the rest of them turned to the Sheriff.

"The truth is, he's the outlaw. He's spend an entire life in an orphanage, got adopted by a real nice family six months ago, and how did he repay them? By taking their entire life savings. We've been after him ever since," the sheriff explained.

Korra turned to Kai. "Is that true?" she asked. Jinora crossed her fingers, hoping it wasn't.

"The person who stole that stuff was the old me. Once I got airbending, I changed. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like airbending choose me for a reason," Kai said. Bolin cast him a sad glance. And even though he had been lying only moments before, Jinora couldn't help but believe him.

"Like I'm a new person," he continued. Two of the deputies start to drag him away, like he's a horrible criminal. "I'm sorry! Please, you have to listen to me."

Jinora felt pity well up inside her. Even if he was a thief, well, being an orphan was hard. Even Mako and Bolin had been thieves once, and now they were heroes.

"Are, are you taking him back to the orphanage?" Bolin stammered.

"No, he's headed to jail," the Sheriff said. But he was so young, they were allowed to throw twelve year olds in prison? Spirits, no one deserved that. Least of all someone who probably wasn't used to not having to steal to survive.

"Wait!" Korra said, and Jinora felt a wave of relief wash over her. "You've got the family's life savings, now let us take Kai."

Thank the Spirits that Korra was one for giving second chances.

"Do you really want our first member of the Air Nation to be a liar and a thief?" Tenzin said,

Jinora was pretty sure she knew what Korra was thinking: the first Avatar, Wan, had been just that. Korra had told them the story shortly after Harmonic Convergence.

"He just needs some guidance, Tenzin. Who better to give it to him than us?" Korra said. _Please agree, _Jinora thought worriedly.

"Do you want this boy or not?" the Sheriff said.

Tenzin stroked his beard, looking deep in thought for a few moments. "Yes," Tenzin decides, sounding almost as if he's already regretting it. "You can release the boy into our custody.

The deputies let go of Kai's hands and he immediately grinned and ran to hug Korra. "Thank you!" he said gratefully, sound half-surprised.

"Just don't make me regret it," Korra mumbled. Jinora walked forward, as did Bolin, to join in on the hug.

As she half-hugged Kai, she could feel his ribs slightly, poking into her hands as she pressed down. It was only a little, but the thought made her sad. As skilled a thief Kai may have been, there were obviously some nights he had gone hungry.

"Welcome to the family, little bro," Bolin said cheerfully.

Once the two group hugs had broken up (Uncle Bumi had wrapped her father in a tight embrace, much to Tenzin's discomfort) they went back into the airship.

Jinora hung back as the others passed her. Mako had as well, standing on the very edge of the airship's long narrow drawbridge. She watched Mako turn Kai around by placing a hand in the boy's hair and mutter something to him, too quietly for her to hear.

(Not that she was _trying _to eavesdrop, or anything.)

"– making a change," Kai was saying, as he walked backwards, his hands stuck in his pockets. "Don't you worry about me." He turned forwards, looking at her.

Having his attention on her, for the first time, completely undivided, made her cheeks heat up. "Hi, I'm Jinora." She had turned away slightly, half-looking at him over her shoulder. Normally she didn't feel shy at all, so why did he make her feel this way? "If you need any help with airbending, I could show you what I know."

He fiddled with his suspenders, smiling gently at her. "Thanks, that's real nice of you." And she could tell it was completely genuine, too.

"Jinora!" her father called. Her head snapped up to the doorway of the airship, Kai following suit. "We're leaving now."

Her blush gone, she looked towards Kai and they shared a smile before walking into the airship together, Mako bringing up the rear.

After flicking on a few switches, turning a few knobs and spinning the steering wheel, the airship took off, with its new airbender in tow.

As the group settled around the table, Korra and Tenzin going through the list of boundaries for Kai ("Don't touch this, don't lean too far out over the railing,") Jinora peeked at him through her eyelashes.

Kai still was a thief, but he still was cute, she admitted, her heart skipping a beat when he noticed her across the table and half-smiled at her.


	2. Advice, Stars & Lion Turtles

**A/N: Thus begins the very long, long journey ahead of us. The Prologue is the only chapter that will purely be what happened on the show. Everything else will be built off of canon, or what is implied, or off of headcanons.  
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**Thank you for all of the reviews/favourites/follows. I didn't expect for this to get so much attention so quickly, and I appreciate them very much and am glad that so far, you are all enjoying the story. This chapter ended up being entirely from Kai's point of view, although I'll probably flip-flop every chapter, or a couple times per chapter (like when a more detailed version of the events of "In Harm's Way" take place.) Anyway, without further ado, here is officially chapter one! :)**

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><p><span><strong>To Fall<strong>

ACT I: to fall

CHAPTER ONE: Advice, Stars & Lion Turtles

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><p>If someone had asked Kai a year ago where he thought he would end up, he would've replied, "Not in jail, with some luck." He certainly never would have expected that he would be an airbender, traveling on an airship with the Avatar and her friends. Not that he was complaining, but this was going to take some getting used to.<p>

Dinner had been... different, to say the least. Although big, the group had talked and laughed like one large, happy, albeit unusual family. Well, there had been some friction between the firebender (Mako?) and Korra, but other than that everyone seemed to be perfectly at home. For the most part, he had been ignored; which he didn't mind. There were so many conversations and no place to squeeze his words in. Instead, he spent his time thinking, observing, and wolfing down his food. Even though he was a skilled thief, there were still plenty of nights, especially when he was younger, where he went to bed hungry. Nights that he wasn't keen on reliving.

The only one who had really paid any attention to him - well, positive attention (Tenzin seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face when he looked at Kai.) - was Jinora. She had smiled at him, and then asked, "So when did you discover your airbending?"

"Two weeks ago," he had replied, returning the smile. "I, uh, got into a tight spot," running from an angry gang was not fun, "and it helped me out of it." Luckily an angry gang couldn't make the five foot jump onto a roof.

Jinora hadn't asked for more details, which Kai was thankful for. Instead, she had said, "When I was little, sometimes my airbending would come when I sneezed. Only instead of it blowing me up or backwards, it pushed other people away."

Kai had half-winced, the corners of his mouth still pointing upwards. "I'm guessing that didn't end too well?" She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, you could say that," she had said cheerfully. Kai had grinned at her before she was swept up into another conversation by Kai's 'big brother' Bolin.

After dinner, everyone had headed to bed. Bolin had showed him where he would be sleeping - "Right next to my room, lil' bro! Isn't that great?"

Kai turned over in his bed, his head spinning. There so many things to think about, so many options and possibilities and futures now that he was an airbender. Sighing, he kicked off his blankets and swung his legs over the bed, standing up. Maybe exploring the airship would help clear his mind? With everything going on, he hadn't gotten a real good look at the place that would be his home for the next few weeks. There would surely be a lot to explore.

And there was. The airship was _huge, _with multiple floors and decks, the size something Kai hadn't fully appreciated on his short tour of it. He wandered down the halls, naturally light on his feet; years of practice as a thief would not be erased easily and this was one thing he was grateful for. He didn't even want to imagine the accusing stares Tenzin or the firebender would give him if they caught him 'sneaking around'.

Maybe it was because the ship was from Future Industries, but the floorboards didn't creak at all. If the ship's outward appearance was anything to go by, it looked like the ship was brand new. Kai just hoped he didn't accidentally scratch anything, or something. Even if it hadn't been said, he knew he was on a probation of sorts until he had proved he was trustworthy. At least in the firebender's eyes.

Kai didn't really have a destination in mind, but he wound up on the bottom deck of the ship. The moon and stars were bright against the inky black sky. Below the airship, Kai could make out rolling hills and little flickering lights - lanterns from the small villages below. He leaned on the railing gently, the metal cool against his skin.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice said. Kai spun around to see Jinora, who was wearing a long white night gown. In the moonlight, the fabric seemed to almost glow.

"Couldn't sleep," he answered. "You?"

"Same... Well, if you want to be alone, I'll go now..." She took a step back, looking slightly sheepish.

"No," Kai said quickly; so quickly it surprised himself. But he didn't want her to leave. It wasn't fair to her, and well, so far he had enjoyed her company. "No, you can stay."

She gave him a small smile and walked forwards, joining him at the railing. "Thanks," she said quietly. There was nothing but the wind for a few moments before she sighed.

"Something wrong?" he asked, turning away from the scenery to look at her.

"No, just... a lot on my mind. So much has happened in the past couple of days, with the new airbenders and all," she said. Kai nodded, remaining silent. "It was just my family for a long time, and it would take centuries to even fill one of the temples. Meanwhile, you have Republic City, overflowing with benders and you're just there, with no one like you... It was sort of lonely, you know?"

And Kai did know, Spirits did he know how that felt, to be alone. "Yeah," he said gently, "I do." Jinora held his gaze for a little while, and then turned back to the horizon.

"Sorry, I know that sort became ranty," she said.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. Besides," he glanced at her, smiling a little, "it sounds like you've been keeping it all in for a while." They shared a smile.

"Kai," she said softly. He looked at her in surprise at her soft tone. "I know that it's going to take some time to get used to, and that my family can be overbearing and loud... and you're probably feeling sort of lonely right now, but everything's going to be okay. You have a home here, and you're not alone." She seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before placing a hand on his arm. "If you ever wanna talk, I'm here okay?"

He smiled gently, feeling warm inside. "Okay," he said happily. She returned the smile.

She removed her arm and pulled away, and glanced up at the stars. "Beautiful, aren't they?"

Kai sneaked a look at her, the moonlight making her hair and eyes shine. "Yeah," he replied. "Y-" he caught his slip up just in time, "_they _are." He turned his eyes upwards. "I've always wanted to learn more about the stars."_  
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"I know a couple of the constellations," Jinora told him. She pointed her finger at a small cluster of them. "That shape, right there, is a Lion Turtle. They're pretty much all extinct, but my Grandpa Aang met one, and Korra says that in the time of the first Avatar, people had cities on their shells. I would love to try to meet one, someday."

"That would be so cool," he agreed. "We could try to find one together." The words slipped out so fast he didn't have time to register it. A blush lined his cheeks and he concentrated on the stars above them, wishing Jinora would just say something...

"Yeah, alright."

He found a wobbly smile spreading across his face at her response. For some reason the idea of them, older, traveling the world and looking for Lion Turtles was ludicrous... but at the same time, not half-bad. "Okay," he said grinning, "I'm gonna hold you to that." She giggled, and it pulled a laugh out of him too. "So, do you still want to increase my knowledge about stars?"

Still chuckling, Jinora replied, "Yes. But there's a better position to be in for stargazing. Come on."

Wondering what she had in mind, Kai followed her up three flights of stairs and down two corridors. Finally, just as his legs were starting to hurt, they exited a corridor and entered onto another deck. It was a tiny platform, really, tinier than Kai's bedroom, with a railing around it. It was much, much higher up than the bottom deck, however, and the stars shone even brighter than before.

Jinora beamed at him, waiting for a reaction. "Wow..." he breathed. "This is amazing!"

"I know," she said happily, sitting down. She pat the space beside her. "Care to join me?" They sat in silence for a while, just watching the stars. A couple shooting stars raced across the sky. It was one of the most amazing things Kai had ever seen.

"So..." Jinora said slowly. "Why were you having trouble sleeping?"

The question caught him off guard and it took a few moments to collect his thoughts. "I guess..." Kai struggled to find the right words. "I'm not used to having a so many possible futures... Like, before, it was either I was in jail or on my way there. And now, for the first time, that's not a possibility at all. It's great and all, but... It's scary."

Jinora nodded and thought before she spoke again. "My Grandpa Aang once said if you wanted to be a bender, you had to let go of fear. Having an uncertain future _is _scary, but at least for every bad scenario you could ever imagine, there's a thousand better ones out there. Like the stars. Sure, there's darkness and bad times, but there's still thousands of them out there, shining brightly. You're going to be okay Kai, I promise."

Kai looked at her, taking her words to heart. "Do you really believe that?"

"I do," she confirmed. He smiled at her.

"Then so do I, Lion Turtle," he said, slightly laughing at the newfound nickname.

"Lion turtle?" she cried, giggling. Kai nodded, giving her an even wider grin. Her laughter faded when she looked at the moon and realized how late it was. "We should probably go to bed. Your airbending lessons are starting early tomorrow - you'll have to call me Sifu instead of Lion Turtle. I trust you'll be able to fall asleep now?"

She stood up and offered him a hand. So she would be his teacher? That made him feel a lot better. Having Mr. Angry Eyebrows probably wouldn't be as fun as having Jinora as a teacher. She was talented, and a pretty cool girl, Kai decided.

"Yeah," Kai said and he took her hand. They walked down the stairs and corridors together, Jinora in the lead because she was the one who actually knew where they were going. The initial walk had felt so long, but Kai felt as though this one had flown by as he and Jinora walked in a comfortable silence.

"Your room's right down there," Jinora said happily. "I'll see you in the morning, okay? Bolin'll be coming to wake you up."

"See you later..." She smiled and turned around, starting to walk away. Kai didn't know what made him do it, but he called out, "Jinora!" She turned around, mildly surprised. "Thanks. For everything, and listening and stuff."

"Anytime. And thanks Kai, for that too." She gave him one last smile (was it his imagination or were her cheeks slightly pink? Or was that just the lighting?) before she walked away. This time, he let her go.

Praying he didn't wasn't at the wrong door, Kai slowly opened one of them, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw, indeed, that this was his room. He plopped onto his bed, sleepiness tugging at his eyelids. He hoped airbending wouldn't be too strenuous. Spending more time with Jinora would be fun though, she was so easy to talk to...

Settling down to sleep, he dozed off with a smile on his face.


	3. Cookies and Calligraphy

**To Fall**

ACT I: to fall

CHAPTER TWO: Cookies and Calligraphy

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><p>Seeing as Kai had been a nonbender his entire life, Jinora was surprised by how quickly Kai took to airbending. Naturally light on his feet, he was already good at dodging and making fast stance changes. Within only a couple of lessons, he had pretty much nailed the basics. Vaguely, she wondered how he learned so much already, but figured that since he grew up on the streets, and with his average but small size, running away or dodging punches was probably his most basic defense if anyone tried to rough him up. The thought made her feel sad.<p>

As she watched him go through a form, she couldn't help but be impressed and smile. Aside from a few slight mistakes - which she carefully and softly corrected - it was perfect. "You're doing really well Kai," she said. He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning.

"It's all thanks to you Jinora," he replied. She couldn't help the way her cheeks turned pink, and smiled at him.

"It seems like a break is in order for lunch, at least." She led the way back inside and they walked down to the main room of the airship, which had unofficially become the meeting-and-lunch room.

Korra was already there with her feet on the table, Tenzin sitting across and obviously disapproving of the action, yet letting it slide. Bolin was half-asleep with Pabu curled up on his lap. Mako and Asami were nowhere to be found, but as Jinora opened her mouth to ask, Korra said, "Asami's in the kitchen cooking. I offered to help but she wanted to work alone. And I think Mako's off reading somewhere."

Jinora smiled gently. It was a good thing that at least one of them knew how to really cook; Asami had taken cooking lessons growing up out of interest (not that at the time she ever needed to cook for herself) but the skill was certainly coming in handy now. Mako, Jinora had learned, loved to read, so she had told him he was free to read all and any of the multiple books she had brought. Most of them were history books, her favourite, depicting ancient Air Nomad culture and history - something that was important for the new airbenders to learn.

She took her usual spot at the table. Meanwhile, Kai teetered around the edge, obviously trying to decide where he should sit. He had only been here for a little over four days and was obviously still trying to adjust and fit in. Jinora was just about to pat the seat beside her when the doors to the kitchen opened and Asami walked in, a large silver platter in her arms, her attention sliding past Kai's shoulder and focusing on Asami instead.

"Need some help?" Korra asked, removing her feet and starting to stand up.

"No, I'm alright," the nonbender said. And then wobbled to the side. Kai grabbed her arm with one hand, placing his other on her shoulder to keep her steady. "Oh, thanks Kai," she said gratefully. Kai gave her a somewhat nervous smile.

"You're welcome," he chirped, staying nearby until Asami made it fully to the table and placed the platter on it. Then he sat next to Jinora, flashing her a quick grin that clearly said: _I'm starting to fit in._

She grinned back, eyes darting to him every so often as they ate lunch together (Bolin eventually dragged a slouching Mako into the room) because yes, yes he was.

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><p>The idea that Kai had once thought airbending was going to be easy was almost laughable. Although he found that he picked up on the techniques and forms quickly, the actual act of airbending was a lot of hard work. Practicing the same form over and over again soon grew tedious, but he couldn't let his technique drop for even a moment, otherwise it would just increase the workload. He was determined to learn how to properly control his bending, and one day master it, so he worked until his limbs ached and even his hair was damp from sweat.<p>

Jinora was a tough but encouraging Sifu, and Kai was grateful that she was the one teaching him. She gave him solid constructive criticism while also acknowledging his successes.

And recently, whenever he was around her, he felt his heart speed up. It was an odd feeling, but definitely not a bad one. It just made him be suddenly aware that his clothes were really crumpled, and that his hair was messy and a million other things he never would have spared a single thought for before, if he had noticed them at all that is.

Feeling her eyes on him, Kai went through his newest move and a gust of air came from his palm. He turned back to Jinora to see her reaction, and happily saw that she was smiling.

"Good job Kai," she praised. He felt a light blush line his cheeks; his heart skipped a beat. "If you keep this up, you'll get to start training with a staff once we get to the Northern Air Temple, but take a break for now. You've more than earned it. Maybe later this afternoon we'll start on some Air Nomad culture, if you're up to it...?"

"Thanks Jinora," he replied, thankful that his blush had gone away. "And sure. Meet back here in an hour?"

She nodded. "Alright, see you then." She turned around after giving him one last smile and walked back inside; he couldn't help but watch her go. Spirits, what was happening to him?

Kai shook his head, trying to make the thought go away. A distraction was in order - stealing was out of the question, since not only were the airship's other residents not strangers, they would also notice if something was missing; he wouldn't get away with it. A shower, maybe? Yeah, that sounded good.

After drying off from his shower and pulling his clothes back on, Kai headed to the main room, searching for a snack. Usually there was some sort of food being whipped up or already prepared, mostly because of Bolin and Korra's large appetites. He entered the kitchen to find Asami bent over a tray.

"Hey," the nonbender greeted, grinning. "Came looking for some food?"

Kai nodded. "How did you know?"

Asami chuckled softly. "You have the same look in your eyes as Bolin and Korra. I'm putting some cookies in the oven right now, but I think there's some left overs from dinner last night in the ice box...?" She lifted the tray and pushed in into the oven before taking off the gloves. Leaning against the counter near the stove, she watched Kai grab the container of pig-chicken that hadn't been finished.

"Thanks Asami," Kai said. He held the container, but was unsure of exactly what do to with it. The streets didn't have proper kitchens, after all; if you were lucky, a can-fire done with matches would do. Or if you really lucky, you were a firebender.

"Need some help?" Asami offered. Kai nodded slowly. "Alrighty then. Luckily for you, heating something up again is actually pretty simple." She guided him through the steps - which, he found happily - were actually fairly easy. As he chowed done on his pig-chicken, Asami brought the cookies out of the oven. "Once you're done, help yourself. They shouldn't be too hot then."

Kai reached forwards for one after finishing his food and bit into it. The chocolate chips had melted on top of the cookie in the oven, covering it; it was _delicious. _"Mmm... These are _really _good," he told her.

She grinned. "Thanks. You should eat how many you want now though, before Bolin and Korra realize they're here." Kai laughed lightly.

"Alright, I will... Would it be okay if I took one of these with me? I'm having another lesson with Jinora this afternoon and I think she'd like one so...?" He looked up at Asami hopefully, sure he was blushing.

Asami smiled, making a mental note to mention this to Korra later. "Go ahead, I'm sure she'll love it."

He (very carefully) grabbed another cookie, said, "Thank you," one last time to Asami, and scurried out the door and back onto the deck. It barely seemed possible, but somehow an hour had come and gone.

Jinora was sitting out on the deck, a thick book open in her lap. From the glimpses he could see as he sped towards here, the pages were full of lots of words and no pictures; exciting. He felt his stomach twist itself into knots looking at all those words, because that was all he could do: look. Orphanages didn't give a lot of help to their residents, and they definitely didn't give reading lessons.

He skidded to a halt and approached her more slowly. As he plopped down beside her, she looked up at him smiling and marked her spot in the book. "Ready?" she asked happily.

"Uh, yeah," Kai said, feeling uncertain and hoping his discomfort wasn't showing on his face. He held out his hand to her. "I brought you a cookie." There were more crumbs in his hand than there had been, but her face lit up at the sight of it.

"Oh, thank you Kai, that's so sweet of you!" She took the cookie from his hand, her fingers brushing against his for a moment - it sent an electrical shock up his arm for a second - and then bit into it. "Asami makes the best ones." She looked back down at her book. "I'd figure we'd start with a very basic introduction, for today. I was thinking I would read some, and then you would, if that's okay?"

"Uh, actually Jinora...? I -" He swallowed hard, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "I was never taught... how to, err, read."

Her face was blank for a moment, her smile vanishing - oh no oh no - but then it reappeared just as quickly. "That's alright Kai," she said kindly, putting her hand on his arm. "I wasn't thinking. I'll read to you, that's fine... Of course," she looked at him shyly, her cheeks pink, "I _could _teach you how to read and write and stuff, if you want, of course." She quickly added.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "Really? Uh, sure, that sounds great! Thanks Jinora."

Her cheeks were still pink as she replied, "You're welcome Kai. I suppose we should leave the Air Nomad history for another day and start with the basics today. Let me just go get some paper and a couple of pens and we'll start, okay?"

Jinora returned a few minutes later, a small stack of paper in her arms and two pens clutched in one hand. Settling down back in her spot, she clicked one of the pens and started to write down a character. "That," she said, giving him a wide smile, "is your name."

Kai stared at it - the gentle, bold brushstrokes and gently put a finger on it. _His name. _His throat felt dry, but he managed out, "And your name?" Carefully, Jinora added that too, near his, looking up at him curiously. "What's the symbol for and?" She placed it in between their names, her cheeks feeling warm. She glanced to Kai, whose cheeks were tinged with red too.

"Kai and Jinora," he read proudly, flashing her a smile. "Alright, _now _we can start with the basics."

It was hard work. Jinora often had to remind herself that no, Kai wouldn't know this, nor would he know that rule. Everything and anything had to be explained. But she didn't find it taxing, even if it was hard work; just like with his airbending, Kai was an enthusiastic student. She couldn't help but smile as he continued on with his work and she finished her cookie. And, slowly, over the course of the afternoon, they had made some progress.

Kai could write his name. As he had held up his paper for her to see, and when she had nodded - "You got it Kai!" - such a huge grin had split across his face she couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Thanks for teaching me Jinora," he said gratefully. She blushed. "_Sifu_ Jinora," he added.

"Jinora! Kai!" a voice called. They turned around to see Korra standing in the doorway of the exit out of the deck and back into the actual ship, a knowing expression on her face. "Come on you two, dinner's ready!"

Jinora bent down to gather her papers and pens, while Kai hefted the textbook into his arms. The thing was even heavier than he had expected. As they made their way towards where Korra was waiting for them, Jinora's eyes locked with Kai's, brown meeting green. They shared a quick smile, and as they headed inside together, she was sure she was blushing again.

Especially when he automatically sat down next to her at the table.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you so much for all of the reviews, favourites and follows; they mean a lot! **

**I struggled with finding a title for this chapter, but I'm happy with the one I settled on. :) Hopefully another update will be here by the end of the week, and it'll probably be the last chapter bridging the gap before the events of "The Earth Queen" take place, which will probably have a chapter or two. I'll be fully expanding on the various emotions and how bad the Airbender prison probably was, so it'll be much, much more in depth and expansive than the Prologue was.**

**After all, that was the first time Kai or Jinora were ever separated from one another, and seems to be what really made Kai decide to not steal anymore (although we shall have to wait and see on that).**

**I hope you all have a great day! **

**:)**


	4. Walls

**To Fall**

* * *

><p>ACT I: To Fall<p>

CHAPTER THREE: Walls

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><p>"Curve up there – there you go, good job Kai. You already have better penmanship than Ikki."<p>

Kai smiled at her. "Thanks Jinora, although… Is that much of a compliment?" If the girl was only eight, how well could she actually write?

Jinora giggled. "Considering Ikki's writing looks like pig-chicken scratch, maybe not. Still, you've improved a lot in just two weeks. Not just in your writing, but also with your airbending. You'll be sparring Uncle Bumi tomorrow, before we get to Ba Sing Se."

Wow, his first sparring match. And from seeing Bumi train with Jinora, he was confident he would win it, too. Being younger, more nimble – and in Kai's humble opinion, already getting a few moves that Bumi was still struggling with, he felt his assumption was fairly accurate.

"Now, finish writing that last word, and we'll go through some forms, alright?"

Carefully and still unsure that he was completing the word properly, Kai did a bold brushstroke down to end it, and looked up at Jinora. She nodded, beaming.

"Alright, are you ready for some airbending?"

"Of course," Kai said. They stood up together from the table in the main room and started making their way to the lower deck. "I can't wait to start using a staff and glider!"

"Once we get to the Northern Air Temple, you'll get to start training with it. Gliding for the first time can be pretty scary though," she warned.

"I'll be fine," he assured her and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Let's just wait and see," she said, chuckling, remembering how terrified she had been the first time. They stepped out onto the deck. Nobody else was around, except for Pabu who was sleeping in a patch of sun off to the side. "Now, starting position. Stay on your toes," she reminded him.

Taking a step back as he went through form number one and two flawlessly, puffs of air jetting out of his palms, she felt proud of her pupil. She was his Sifu, after all.

"How was that Jinora?" Kai asked, glancing at her as he finished forms three and four.

"It was pretty good, but keep your elbows closer to your centre. It's a consistent, circular motion." She demonstrated the move herself, showing the advantages of her critique. "See?"

Kai did the forms again, using her advice. He looked up at her again. "Yeah, it is better. Thanks Jinora."

Luckily she had gotten better with controlling her blushing, but her heart still skipped at beat as he grinned at her.

"Sifu Jinora," she corrected, half-teasing. "Remember?" He laughed lightly.

"Alright fine – thanks _Sifu-oh-her-mightiness_ Jinora," he joked, still chuckling, his eyes full of mirth.

She giggled, and he couldn't help but find it adorable. "And don't you ever forget it." Her usual teaching tone returned as she said, "Now, go through with forms five and six."

Kai seemed to roll his eyes, but was grinning, and still did as she said.

* * *

><p>"So all the airbenders were really raised by monks?" Kai asked. After training, and lunch, they were sitting in the main room at the table, a small stack of history books around them. Although Jinora had waited until Kai could read and write better – there was still a lot of improvement to be made, of course – it was high time he started learning Air Nomad history, so she had started with the basics.<p>

She nodded. "Yeah. Grandpa Aang was raised by Monk Gyatso. They're guardians, of sorts, until an airbender's all grown up. At the Eastern and Western Air Temples, nuns raise the girls, of course."

"So... none of them were raised by their actual parents?" He found he had a hard time believing that. How could none of the airbenders want to keep their own children and take care of them?

"It was a personal choice. Many chose to give their children to the monks because it was hard to travel with a young baby, or because they were so accustomed to the practice of it. Some of the airbenders were orphans as well, so the temples also served as a sort of orphanage in a way. However, some airbenders raised their own children. Many Air Nomads didn't live permanently at any of the temples, being total nomads and raising their families like that," Jinora explained.

"And Avatar Aang was the youngest to get his tattoos ever, right?" If his memory served correctly, anyway. They had only been going through the culture for half an afternoon, and his brain already hurt. There was so much to learn. The only good thing was seeing the way Jinora's face lit up and how passionate she sounded when she talked about it.

"Correct, at approximately a month after his twelfth birthday." Jinora smiled at him. "But I think that's enough for today, we can pick up from here later."

Kai couldn't help but feel relieved. "That sounds good."

"Hey guys!" a voice said. Bolin had poked his head through one of the deck's doors. "We can see the wall!"

Jinora led the way out of the door. She had heard and read so many things about Ba Sing Se - especially how magnificent the city's massive walls were. Her eyes scanned the horizon, over the vast expanse of desert and bright blue sky. Even very far away, the walls look large, and she could only imagine how big they were up close.

"I've always wanted to come to Ba Sing Se," she told Kai, the two both leaning on the railing of the airship. "It's so full of history, and has the best university in the world."

Personally, Kai didn't see the appeal in choosing to do more years of school, but it was obvious Jinora had a real love of learning. "You want to go to university?" he asked.

She nodded and then looked towards him. "Hopefully someday, once I'm done traveling of course. Still want to find that Lion Turtle, after all. What about you?"

The very thought of him going to university was ludicrous, and he chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think that's for me. I'm fine with just learning how to read and write."

"Fair enough," she agreed, smiling.

"Look Mako look! We're almost there - where dad grew up!" Bolin dragged Mako out onto the deck, the firebender smiling a little at his younger brother's excitement.

Out of everyone, Bolin was the most anxious to get to Ba Sing Se. Which made sense. If Kai had the chance to learn more about his parents, he would be excited about it too. Although he would probably want to start by learning their names... He cast a furtive look over at the brothers. They were lucky that they had had their parents as long as they did. They were lucky that they had each other, even, on the streets. Although he didn't know any different, Kai was sure that being alone on the streets was much, much harder than always having someone who'd look out for you...

_I know exactly what you're all about, because I've been there before. _Like Mako knew what it was like to be alone. Taking care of Bolin surely wasn't easy, but they also helped each other out. But he - he had had no one.

Kai did his best to try to push down those thoughts, and the resentment, which he knew was unfair, but he couldn't. His throat went dry.

"Kai, are you okay? You look like you zoned out," Jinora said gently. Her big brown eyes were full of concern.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," he lied easily. He had never been more thankful for the skill. Lying to police was easy, but somehow, lying to Jinora was harder. Or at the very least, it made his heart leap into his throat and made him feel bad. "I think I'm going to rest in my room."

She nodded almost uncertainly, still looking concerned, but didn't say anything as he exited the dock and walked to his room. Kai sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands.

Did he really have a home here? Or was this simply another temporary fixture? How long would it be before he was alone again? Part of him knew that these doubts weren't grounded, and were silly, but the past doesn't get erased after a week or two. Should he open up to Jinora?

_You have a home here, and you're not alone, _she had said. _If you ever wanna talk, I'm here okay?_

The idea of having someone to confide it was strange and foreign. He had never voiced his fears to anyone before. Jinora was his friend, though, wasn't she? His very first friend. It brought him a little comfort. Maybe he would tell her what was bothering him. That's what friends did, right? Jinora had confided in him, and it must go both ways.

Okay, he would. Later, though. He didn't feel ready right now. (A little part of him wondered if he ever would.)

* * *

><p>Despite the fact she was still a little worried about Kai, Jinora couldn't wait to get to Ba Sing Se. Like she had said, the city was rich were history, specifically of the Avatars, and the Dai Li. Although once corrupt centuries after being formed by Avatar Kyoshi, Grandpa Aang had straightened out the organization as quickly as he could. They were now loyal to the ruler of Ba Sing Se, or the Earth Queen Hou-Ting in this case.<p>

She had never met an Earth Kingdom monarch before. She would have to write it all down in her diary, once she got back to the airship.

If the walls were any indication, Ba Sing Se must be truly magnificent, she decided. After staring for some time, she finally turned away from the walls, thinking hard…

Should she check on Kai? He had seemed a little upset. Or he actually could have just been tired. The thought of him lying her to made her heart ache. Had she done something wrong, somehow? Why wouldn't he be honest with her?

She sighed and decided to go curl up somewhere with a book. Reading was a great distraction, and offered her solace like nothing else.

Jinora headed towards her room and scanned her bookshelf. Half of what she had brought with her into the airship had been books, and even then there were still some at home. Pema had promised to bring them though, once she arrived with Ikki, Meelo, Rohan, Aunt Kya and the other new airbenders at the Northern Air Temple. It would be her new home, now.

The thought filled her with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, but she brushed it aside and pulled a thick book, one of her favourites, from the shelf. Taking a couple more for good measure, she carried them in her arms as she left her bedroom.

Jinora walked all the way up to the tiny platform where she and Kai had watched the stars two weeks before. Sitting down, she propped the book up on her knees and laid the other two beside her thigh. The airbender was already almost a quarter through when someone coughed lightly at the entrance to the platform.

She saved her place in the book, hoping it was Kai. Her heart sank when she saw it was Mako, but she smiled anyway. "Hey," she greeted.

"Mind if I join you?" the firebender asked, looking slightly awkward.

"Not at all," she assured him, patting the space beside her. Mako sat beside her.

"Where's Kai, I thought for sure he'd be with you. You've been practically inseparable, you know." Mako smirked, an almost knowing look in his eyes.

"He said he was tired, so I figured I'd leave him be. It's been a big couple of weeks for him, after all… So, why are you here? Not that I don't always love your company, but there is a reason right?"

Perceptive as always, Mako thought. "Yeah. I was, uh, wondering if I could borrow a book?"

Jinora's smile grew, perking up immediately. "Sure. Anything in particular?"

He chuckled softly. "Surprise me."

After Jinora had looked through her books with Mako waiting outside, they had come back to the platform and had read until Bolin came to tell them it was time for dinner.

As they walked down the staircases and corridors on their way to the main room, Mako asked, "Do you really think Kai is just tired?"

The question caught Jinora off guard, and it took her a few moments to answer. "I think he's upset about something, maybe. I'm not sure though; we're still getting to know each other, right, so… I'm not sure. I'm not going to push him though. I'll let him tell me – if he wants to tell me – on his own time."

Mako nodded slowly. "You're pretty wise for a kid." And it was important for him to keep tabs on the boy, anyway. Turning over a new leaf or not, he didn't entirely trust Kai, with good reason.

"I know," she said happily, causing him to truly laugh.

And when Kai took his usual seat next to her at dinner, back to his normal self, and seeing Jinora smile widely, Mako felt glad.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hi guys! This is the last chapter before the events of the Earth Queen take place. Unlike the prologue, it will not just be rehash of the events. I'll be going in-depth with emotions, possibly motivations for actions (namely Kai's) and filling in the tiny spaces of the episode.**

**And Avatarwiki is my new best friend, now. :P **

**Also: Jinora and Mako friendship is beautiful. Mako, I think, would see her as a little sister. Protective of her, but less obvious about it than Tenzin.**

****Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows! I'm so, so happy you're all loving this story. ****


	5. A Connection Part I

**To Fall**

* * *

><p>CHAPTER FOUR: A Connection Part I<p>

* * *

><p>Standing off to the side, Jinora watched as Kai and Bumi both engaged in their first sparring match. Bumi held his hands up like a boxer, moving around, but too sluggishly for a proper airbending stance.<p>

"Light on your feet, Uncle Bumi," she reminded him. "Remember, you want to be quick and evasive."

"Don't you worry about me little lady," he replied. While he continued to talk, Jinora saw Kai look for an opening, and when he found one, Kai took it; sliding to the floor, he fired a blast of air at Bumi's legs. It sent Bumi toppling to the ground. "Ow..." he moaned.

"Uncle Bumi, you've got to work on your stance changes," Jinora said, moving forwards. Together, she and Kai hefted Bumi to his feet. "Kai, that was just... really good."

Impressive, especially since Bumi had been receiving proper training for longer than the former - or at least Jinora liked to think former - thief. Over just two weeks, Kai had improved greatly. Watching him succeed filled her with a strong sense of pride; she was his Sifu, after all.

A light blush came onto Kai's cheeks, but he thanked the Spirits as it left quickly, and he rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. Jinora didn't usually sound very impressed. "Thanks Jinora, you're a great teacher." And there was no reason for her to know his heart was pounding in his chest. Jinora seemed to stare at him for a moment - his throat went dry - but then looked away, her cheeks pink, and continued to help her uncle.

Bumi brushed her off, and opened his coat. "Hmm, did I drop my wallet?" Jinora couldn't help but laugh as she spotted Kai strolling behind Bumi with the wallet in his hand. Sometimes, thievery was funny. Not to mention the fact he had managed to grab it at all showed what a skilled thief he really was. Bumi whirled around at Kai, and ran after him. "Give me that, you little thief!"

She watched her uncle chase Kai around the deck for a few minutes, eyes full of amusement, before she finally called out, "Alright Kai, give it back now." Kai pouted at her, and she realized he was quite cute when he did that. He handed Bumi the wallet back, and then walked and stood next to her.

"We're almost at Ba Sing Se," Jinora said. "I can't wait to see the city if it's even a fraction as impressive as its wall."

"This is it Mako! We made it. This is where dad grew up. Come here. Look, look!" Bolin said excitedly, dragging his brother along, Mako assuring him, yes, he was looking.

Oh yeah. Their family. Kai stifled a frown. It was stupid to be jealous, but he just couldn't shake the feeling. He distracted himself by looking at the city, as they passed the outer wall and flew over the Lower Ring. There were a lot of shabby houses and apartments that didn't look very large. But the biggest thing was the stench - smoke, exhaust fumes from cars and garbage. Kai was thankful that the streets he had grown up on had smelt better than this.

The airship passed the Middle Ring and entered the Upper. The houses were extravagant and beautiful, adorned with golden gilding and fancy gardens. The Upper Ring men and women walked by, finely dressed. Kai could practically hear the gold jangling in their pockets - just one good theft and he would be set for a week or two.

Not that he really needed to steal anymore, but... A lifetime of being alone doesn't get erased easily.

The palace came into view. It was huge, with badgermole statues standing guard on either side of a high staircase. That wouldn't be very fun to climb. But still, it was an impressive sight.

"Wow," Kai breathed, he and Jinora looking down in apprehension. (His of a thief's, hers of a scholar's.) "Now _this _is more like it."

When the airship landed they were greeted by one of Queen's servants, a nervous man who introduced himself as Gun. While Gun talked and led them through the gardens and towards the Palace, Kai tuned him out. None of it was very interesting, especially compared to the beauty surrounding them now. Nobles walked by.

One of the men had some _very _nice jewelry.

Kai did a slight double take, and then looked back at everyone else. Surely, he could sneak away and come back before anybody noticed right? _If _he came back... An image of Jinora's hurt looking face flashed into his mind and he internally winced. Whatever, he would decide that later. For now, there was a fantastic opportunity awaiting him. A sly grin came onto his face and he slid away. This was going to be too easy.

* * *

><p>While Korra went off to talk to Queen Hou-Ting, Jinora busied herself by unpacking. By unpacking, it mostly meant taking her miniature library out of her bags. There were history books and some novels, all of which were good whenever she got bored. Now that that was done, she figured she might as well find Kai. Maybe he'd be up for some more airbending training, or maybe just talking?<p>

She looked around for a little bit, but couldn't seem to find him anywhere on the airship. Feeling a little worried, she went to the main room where the rest of the group, minus Korra and Bumi, were residing.

"Hey," she said, "has anyone seen Kai?" The voice she had come to be familar with didn't answer, even as Bolin and Tenzin both called out his name.

"He's not in here," Uncle Bumi said, coming out of a side door.

"I don't think I've seen him since we landed," Asami added.

Spirits no... Fear seemed to grip Jinora so tightly she had to take a moment to let it fade. She frowned when Mako said, "I knew that kid was no good. He was just waiting for an opportunity to run away again."

There was more to Kai than that, as if Mako had even tried to get to know him. "We have to find him," Jinora insisted.

"What's the point? He obviously doesn't care about us," Mako replied shortly. Jinora's frown deepened. Kai did care about herm right? Whatever, it didn't matter, because _she _cared about _him, _and they needed to find her. Relief swept over her when Bolin and Tenzin both agreed with her. Mako sighed. "Fine, Bolin and I will find him."

Jinora watched the two brothers head out the door, fidgeting nervously with her robes. Ba Sing Se was _huge, _the largest city in the world. Would they really be able to find Kai? Then again, he couldn't have gotten too far. She bit her lip. She just hoped he was okay.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this is a very short chapter but due to the fact I won't have any time to write AT ALL over the next five days, I figured I might as well post what I've written so far. <strong>

**Thank you for all the reviews/favourites/follows guys. You're the best. :)**


	6. A Connection Part II

CHAPTER FIVE: A Connection Part II

* * *

><p>So the Earth Queen was taking airbenders, forcing them into an army. It was horrible, and went against everything the Air Nomad culture stood for... Then a horrible thought occurred to Jinora. "Guys, what if Kai was spotted airbending?" she said worriedly, frowning, her hands clasped anxiously against her stomach. "He might have been taken too." Bolin's words did little to comfort her. Even if Kai was hard to catch, that didn't mean he wasn't captured. "But what if he was?"<p>

Korra bent down to the young girl's level, a rather knowing look in her eye. "Don't worry Jinora, we'll find him."

And after Mako had suggested Lake Laogai, Jinora knew just how to find it: spiritual projection. Originally, she had thought it was a special effect of Harmonic Convergence... but she had discovered she could still do it. (Ikki and Meelo had been misbehaving; it would be a long time before she forget the looks on their faces when half of her spiritual self had popped up next to them.)

She only hoped she could do it. What if she couldn't, and they never found Kai? Jinora pushed those thoughts away as they headed out of the door to get closer to Lake Laogai.

* * *

><p>The clothes the Dai Li had forced him into were itchy and uncomfortable, but Kai wished that was his biggest problem. Spirits, why had he run away from Mako and Bolin? The trouble would've been nothing compared to this, he already knew. The Dai Li were awful, especially the head agent, the one with the beard. He seemed to revel in his job of cruelty.<p>

After the initial sparring match, the agents had worked them for hours. An airbender even passed out, after taking one too many earth shells to the side, poor guy. Kai had never been more grateful for Jinora's excellent teaching than that moment. He had managed to dodge all of the shells, even blowing one away from hitting another airbender, a pudgy young man who had been Kai's sparring partner.

Kai had been thrown into the 'Hole' as they called it, which was really just a small solitary cell for 'misbehaving'. Soldiers weren't supposed to show mercy, because that's what the Dai Li was doing: turning airbenders into _soldiers_. If there was one thing Kai could remember from the brief history lessons Jinora had given him, it was that the Air Nomads didn't have an army of any shape or form. The only nation to do so.

His stomach grumbled, and he clutched at his side. It still hurt from the rock shells that had nailed him, thanks to the Dai Li. Kai huffed angrily; whatever. He wasn't going to do what these stupid people wanted. He wasn't a soldier, and never would be. He looked down at the floor dejectedly, feeling awful. Not only was he stuck in this dumb prison, he had also betrayed Korra and Tenzin's trust. And Jinora's. Especially Jinora's.

He sighed, wondering what the Dai Li would do to him when the day was over. Hit him, maybe? Kai knew how to take a punch, but if there was more than one, he probably wouldn't last for long.

But then something blue caught his eye; his head snapped towards it. Was that - was that a ghost? Of Jinora?!

* * *

><p><em>I know you have a connection with him...<em>

Jinora concentrated hard on her friend, her _first _friend. On his lopsided smile that gave her blutterflies. On his floppy hair and bright green eyes. And his laugh, loud and happy and infectious. She had to find him, she couldn't lose him, not like this...

She caught brief glimpses of a room with rock walls, flickering in and out of her vision before she solidified. Her spiritual self was in a prison, and there was Kai, looking worse for wear, but overall okay.

"Jinora?" he gasped out, looking alarmed.

"It worked!" she exclaimed. Korra was right, they must have had as strong a connection as she did with the Avatar. Which meant it was a pretty strong connection for a pretty short amount of time.

"How are you here right now?" Kai asked, eyes still wide.

She shushed him gently. "Quiet. It's a high-level airbender move, with a little spiritual stuff thrown in."

Kai let out a big sigh of relief, leaning forwards, arching his back, their faces only a foot away. "For a second there, I thought you were a ghost." And the possibility of Jinora being dead was so awful it had threatened to smother him... Thank the Spirits she wasn't. And she had come to find him, even when he had royally messed up. She and the others. Nobody had ever done that for him before. Nobody had ever cared enough.

Jinora merely chuckled. It struck Kai how good it was to hear her laugh, her voice. "It's good to see you too. We've been looking for you and the other airbenders. We're going to get you all out of here. Where are we anyway?"

"Underground somewhere," Kai said, wishing he could be more helpful. "But other than that, I don't have a clue."

"I'll figure it out," Jinora assured him. Kai had no doubt that she would. "Don't worry." She prepared to leave.

A sudden bout of panic gripped him. "Jinora!" he cried out. There was a pause as she looked down at him. What should he say? How could he say thank you for coming to find me, for caring about me, for giving me another chance, for not ever holding any of my actions against me, thank you for doing something nobody has ever done before? "Thanks," he managed out.

She smiled at him, a faint blush on her cheeks. Then, she faded to the roof and out of sight, and he was alone again.

A few hours went by, and Kai found he sustained himself by the comforting thought that Jinora was coming for him. The others were coming for him. He would be okay, he and all of the airbenders.

And, Kai decided what he was going to do. The first thing he would do was go up and apologize to Mako and Bolin, and then he'd work hard to get Tenzin's trust back. If the airbending master would still have him, of course. And he'd make it up to Jinora too, somehow.

If this was what life in prison was like, Kai knew he never wanted to go to prison. He'd end his stealing, too. It would be hard, but he'd work at it. He didn't want his life as a thief anymore, at all. He didn't want to have to run. He was done running, he decided. Mako and Bolin may have had each other, and they had stuck with each other. If he had a chance at a home, at a _family _for the first time, he was going to stick with them too.

Still a few hours passed, and then the door scraped open. Standing there was Mako Bolin. Despite himself, Kai felt a shred of disappointment; he had hoped Jinora would be there too.

"Kai!"

Before he could fully register it, Jinora had run to him and thrown her arms around him. His heart hammered in his chest; then, a quick peck on his cheek. His lips were soft and warm, and it lasted for maybe a second. A big smile came onto his face, and he couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks either.

"-Tenzin's not be happy about this!" Bolin was saying excitedly.

"Then don't tell him," Mako said.

"How can I not?" Bolin cried. "This is too juicy!"

The name of the Jinora's father broke Kai out of his stupor, and he remembered his promise. Swallowing hard and looking at the floor, he made his way over to the brothers. "Thanks for coming to get me," he said, shame coming into his voice. "I'm really sorry about stealing your wallets. And running away, and getting you stuck on that train." He mentally winced; man, he had screwed up big time.

Even if Bolin was overbearing and a little much as his 'big brother' Kai felt grateful when Bolin pulled him into a hug. "We can't stay mad at you!" the earthbender said tearfully.

Kai saw Mako frown. "Yes we can. I had a lot money in that wallet."

"Guys, come on!" Jinora said hurriedly. The four of them rounded the corner, down the corridor, only to see the some Dai Li agents blocking their way. Mako and Bolin jumped in action.

It was the first time Kai had ever seen them in action, and he had to admit he was impressed. He had only heard a couple of Pro-Bending broadcasts on the radio, but from the sounds of it, the Fire Ferrets had been one of the best teams, and now he saw why. The brothers moved perfectly with each other, delivering quick, even blows of fire and earth.

The head agent with the beard fired off his rock gloves and they latched around Jinora's wrists. The girl flew in the air, and the agent clutched her wrists in his hands; she let out a cry of pain.

Shock flashed across Kai's face for a moment, but then he felt boiling rage. _How dare he hurt Jinora! _He narrowed his eyes, and dodged a rock, sliding underneath and knocking out the agent with the same move he had beaten Bumi with in the spar. Jinora landed safely on the ground, and Kai felt a rush of pride and relief.

"I guess I am as good as I thought," he said proudly, mostly just feeling happy that Jinora was okay. She had only been put in harm's way because of him, after all. It was a feeling he felt a hot spike of hatred for, and never wanted it to happen again.

* * *

><p>Kai had figured even if Jinora had rescued him, hugged him (<em>kissed him<em>) that she would still be mad at him. Or hold it against him. But once the danger of the Earth Queen was gone, and he and the other airbenders were loaded onto an airship, heading towards the Northern Air Temple, Kai hadn't found a good chance to really apologize to her. He was sure she was holding something back though, although he wasn't sure what it was.

That night, he went to one of the lower decks. So much had happened, so much hadn't happened. There was a lot on his mind to sift through. He was thankful that Tenzin had accepted him back without a word, although he was sure the airbending master would be keeping a close eye on him, Kai was determined to prove his trustworthiness as quickly as possible.

"Kai?" a voice said softly, gently. Kai couldn't help but smile a little as he turned around to face Jinora. "Couldn't sleep?" she guessed. He nodded. "Me too. Besides, I thought I'd find you out here. It's been a crazy day."

"Yeah," he agreed. "It has." There was a pregnant pause between them. "Jinora..." Kai started. "I'm sorry. You have every right to be mad at me, and I'm really sorry. Really."

She gave him a mirthless smile. "I'm not mad Kai," she explained. "I'm disappointed."

_That_'s what it was. And Kai found himself wishing she was mad. He would've preferred it. Preferred her to scream like the old head of his orphanage, or be like Mako, scowling with her brow furrowed. He knew how to deal with 'mad'. He had never had someone to disappoint before - at least, not someone he really cared about. Because he did care about her. _A lot._

"But there is a way you can make it up to me," she continued.

"Anything," Kai said instantly. She smiled a little, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything?" she repeated. He nodded earnestly. "No more stealing, then. Or running away."

"Already done," he promised her. "I've been running for a long time, and well... in that prison, I realized I don't want to run anymore."

She smiled brightly, and he returned it, just as happily. "Okay. I forgive you."

"Jinora... thank you. For everything." He tried to convey just how grateful he was, about the fact that she had never given up on him. That she was giving him another chance, even though he had probably hurt more than anyone else by running away._  
><em>

She gave him a quick hug and his heart skipped a beat. "What are friends for?" she asked him cheerfully, before heading inside, leaving his heart feeling considerably lighter than before.

After a few more minutes, he headed inside as the airship continued on its course to the Northern Air Temple - to his new life.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the long wait guys. School's back in session so there's not nearly as much time to write. I know I, for one, am very excited for the Kainora that's sure to come in season 4. What about you guys? :)<strong>

**Thank you for all of your reviews/favourites/follows. Next chapter is them arriving at the Temple, and Kai's first time on a glider. The latter shall be hilarious and adorable, I guarantee. Love you guys! :D**


	7. Airbenders and Injuries

CHAPTER SIX: Airbenders and Injuries

[for Erica-the-nerd]

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><p>It was decidedly weird to go from having only three or four airbenders with you, and then having a little over twenty of them, so it was understandable that Jinora felt overwhelmed. Not that she wasn't happy, oh no – on the contrary, she was ecstatic. It was just a lot to take in.<p>

"You okay?" Kai asked her quietly at dinner. He was still in the clothes the Dai Li had given him, with bandages wrapped around his torso. A few of the other airbenders had needed to be patched up as well. Thankfully, Kai's injury was only bruising and nothing had been broken. When Jinora had asked how it had happened, he had changed the topic, so for now, Jinora had decided to leave it alone.

"Yeah," she managed out. "I'm fine just... trying to take it all in. What about you? How are you feeling?"

"Better now," he told her, giving her a lopsided smile. Her stomach did a somersault. Then he helped himself to one of the many, many salads and pastas laid out before them. The rest of the airbenders looked equally hungry, but Jinora found she couldn't manage much of an appetite. So much had happened; so much _hadn't_ happened. She needed some time to sort it all out.

Jinora cast a meaningful look to her father; Tenzin nodded solemnly, and Jinora stood up from the table. Kai looked up at her (the only one who did) and she gave him an apologetic look. 'Need some air,' she mouthed, before leaving the table.

The night air was cool and crisp against her skin, refreshing after such a busy, stressful day. The moon was bright and beautiful. It made Jinora think of the moon spirit, Yue, who had given her life on a night like this years and years ago. A few spirits flew along the airship, chirping to each other like birds. Jinora grinned at the sight; spirits were wonderful, amazing creatures, and she couldn't be more happy that she had such a strong connection to them, and to her own spiritual self. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to find Kai...

Kai. For what seemed the hundredth time that day, she wondered how he had managed to hurt himself so badly. Had the Dai Li become especially rough? Why him though? Why had he been thrown into that tiny cell? Had he acted up? It seemed like something he would do, but still... Maybe one of the other airbenders would know. She would have to ask.

She rubbed her wrists; they still hurt from where the Dai Li's rock gloves had bound them. It was too bad Aunt Kya was back at Air Temple Island, she was great at healing things like this.

A chill ran through her and she shivered. Jinora sighed, deciding to go back inside. It was a little too cold for her tastes to stay outside. She turned around and jumped, a little startled, at seeing Kai standing behind her. Feeling suddenly nervous, she licked her lips, tucking a strand of behind her ear. "Kai," she greeted. Her face felt hot.

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay," he explained, shrugging. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish. "If you want to be alone, I'll go inside..."

Jinora couldn't help but be reminded of the reverse scenario that had taken place between them, when they had talked about stars and homes and Lionturtles. Had that really only been two weeks ago? It seemed like forever.

"Actually no, that's alright, I was going to head inside myself. Maybe for some hot chocolate." She gave him a bright smile. "Care to join me?"

Kai grinned back at her. "Sure."

* * *

><p>Tenzin had said it would only take a few days to get to the Northern Air Temple, but in the meantime, as eager as Jinora was to arrive, she also felt perfectly fine with where she was. Getting to know the rest of the airbenders - her <em>people <em>now - was fun, exciting and a great way to pass the time. There was Shyla, a pretty girl with her hair pulled in a bun, locks of hair hanging down on either side of her face. The hairstyle actually reminded Jinora of Korra's, except distinctly Earth Kingdom rather than Water Tribe.

Then there were the other girls - a bunch of them and Jinora kept getting their names mixed up. She was just happy that everyone was still trying to learn everyone else's names. It seemed that Shyla and Pomba - a girl with fancy bangs and hair pulled fancily back into a bun - had hit it off, but everyone else was still pretty withdrawn and trying to adjust. Which was fine, because Jinora was still trying to adjust herself. She hadn't gotten a chance to get to know almost any of the boys yet.

The main bright-side was Kai. He had already gotten to know a couple of the airbenders, most notably Yung, who had been his sparring partner. The former thief seemed to have adjusted well to the sudden change; Jinora guessed that was a side affect of growing up on the streets. You had to adapt quickly. Besides, Yung was friendly enough, and Jinora found his company enjoyable.

It only made her realize that what she had with Kai was special. She would definitely call Yung a friend, even if he was a very new one. But Kai was her _best _friend. The thought of it made her feel all fuzzy inside; she had never had a best friend before. She was grateful Kai was hers. She wished she knew how he had gotten hurt, though...

"-never went too far from Ba Sing Se," Yung was chattering on happily, and Jinora realized she had zoned out. She gave him an apologetic smile, but it didn't even seem like he had really noticed.

"Yung," she began hesitantly. "Can I - can I ask you something?"

Yung blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Uh, sure. What do you want to know?"

She swallowed the sudden surge of shyness and carried on. "Well, Kai got some bruising near his stomach, and I was wondering how he had gotten it?" Jinora arched her eyebrows, hoping Yung would answer.

"Oh," was the short reply. Yung's eyes flitted to her nervously. "Well, the Dai Li were making us spar each other, and Kai was my partner... He's a good kid, ya know? So he'd go a little easier on me, help me out. The uh, Dai Li didn't like that too much, so... Rock shells."

Jinora shifted uncomfortably. _That _was how. Admiration for Kai - for her best friend - rushed through her. He had been so selfless, had been modest, not wanting to tell her. She smiled to herself. "Thank you for telling me Yung. If you don't mind, I think I need to go find Kai." Yung grinned. "Any idea where he is?"

"Last I saw he was in the main room," Yung said, shrugging.

"Thank you," Jinora repeated, flashing him a smile before she headed to the main room: she had a friend to find.

* * *

><p>"There you are," Jinora greeted, having found Kai in the kitchens closest to the main room. He was near the hot chocolate packets. "I see you've discovered the joys of hot cocoa," she added, eyes gleaming with amusement.<p>

Kai held up a packet to her, turning to face her. "Want one?"

She shook her head. "No, but thank you for offering..." He turned back to the packets and the mug of steaming water. "I was talking to Yung," she continued casually, "and I asked him about how you got hurt." Kai froze.

"Huh," the boy managed out. "So..."

"I just wanted to say... I'm really proud of you Kai." Jinora beamed as Kai straightened up and turned around, a look of disbelief flashing across his face before being replace with a small smile. His eyes were wide, as if to say, _Really? _"Really proud," she confirmed, flushing under his intense gaze. "That was very brave and selfless of you."

Vaguely, some part of her wondered if anyone had ever been proud of Kai before, or had told him so. Either way, she was glad she was telling him now.

A faint blush dusted Kai's cheeks. "Thanks Jinora," he said cheerfully. An awkward silence fell between them before Kai broke it: "Do you know where the marshmallows are?"

A giggle erupted from her. "You'll spoil your dinner." Jinora had meant to sound scolding, but wasn't able to manage it, merely amused instead. "I know you'll take more marshmallows than you need. And Air Nomads aren't supposed to indulge in superficial treats."

Kai raised an eyebrow, pouting. He looked cute when he did that. "_Please_?" He gave her a big goofy smile and her resolve which wasn't all that strong to start vanished. Jinora rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she relented. Kai pumped his fist in the air and she giggled again. "My young pupil, if you direct your focus to the highest cupboard to the right, you'll find the treats you seek."

Kai did a fancy, ridiculous bow. "Why thank you Sifu Jinora," he trilled, but his 'seriousness' returned as he licked his lips, rubbing his palms together and fixing a hungry look on where the marshmallows were. When he finally managed to grab the bag, he practically ripped it open, grabbing a handful of marshmallows and dropping them into his hot chocolate. He took another handful and was about to pop them in his mouth when Jinora reached over and stole a few of them.

"Hey!"

Jinora winked at him, chewing her marshmallow smugly. "The student has not yet become the master," she teased.

* * *

><p>Kai didn't know a whole lot about the temples. He had heard about them from Jinora and seen pictures from the history books, but he didn't really knew. All he really knew was that Jinora was nice and funny and pretty and his best friend; that his life on the streets was over; that hot chocolate with marshmallows was the newest best thing in the world; that he and the other airbenders were going to have a new life.<p>

And he knew that the Northern Air Temple _was absolutely beautiful. _Its turrets and towers rose up with the peaks of the mountain, and he wondered if they had been carved out of the mountain itself. The tallest tower was the highest point of the temple, and it was stark in contrast with the bright blue sky. Spirits fluttered by as well, and Kai swore he saw a couple of sky bison in the valley below, but whatever-it-was moved too quickly for him to be sure, and the airship was heading in the opposite direction too.

He grinned at Jinora, who grinned back. "You know, they used to hold sky bison polo competitions here," she told him, and had to fight back a laugh at how his face lit up.

"That's so cool!" he gasped. Jinora couldn't hold in her laugh any longer.

"Yeah," she agreed. Seeing him so giddy and happy was a nice change. "So, are you ready?"

_Are you ready? _Ready for a new life? A new home? His first home. A beautiful home. With a best friend, and more friends sure to come. _Are you ready?_

Kai looked back at the air temple, a softer smile coming onto his face. "Yeah," he replied. "I am."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the long wait - school's back in session so less writing time. However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next one will be covering the week(s) or so until Original Airbenders - which means Kai's first time on a glider XD Also you got Kainora friendship mushiness so hopefully that'll help tie you over until we get their reunion in Book 4. <strong>

**This chapter's for 'Erica-the-nerd' because when I was lurking around tumblr I saw that this was her favourite story and that really touched me so, I hope she likes it! :)**

**This was also a more Jinora POV chapter and it was fun to write. I've also named the rest of the airbenders using the concept art as reference (book 3 & 4) but that'll come into play later. See you guys soon, love you all! :3**


	8. The Northern Air Temple

CHAPTER SEVEN: The Northern Air Temple

* * *

><p>As the airship cut through the clouds, gradually descending, the Temple looming before them grew larger and larger.<p>

Jinora and Kai exchanged looks of excitement – finally, they were here. Jinora could see the similarities in the Temple from pictures in her history textbooks. She recognized certain towers and areas that had been restored. After the 100 Year War had ended, the refugees who had lived there had moved out. Her grandfather Aang had spent over twenty-five years restoring the Temple to its former glory; it really was a sight to behold.

And now, it would be her new home.

She felt jittery with excitement and nervousness. "This is going to be so awesome," Kai breathed, and she looked to him standing by her side and smiled at the awestruck, happy look on his face.

Jinora made a hum of agreement: that was an understatement. Especially since they would get to experience this together.

The other airbenders gathered on the deck, and the fact that the air nation truly had been reborn was almost overwhelming. Happy tears welled up in her eyes; she quickly wiped them away.

"You okay?" Kai said gently, looking at her in concern. It made her face feel warm.

"Yeah," she said, smiling at him, "I am, I'm just a little nervous. It's a big change, you know?"

Kai nodded. "On the streets," he began quietly, "you got used to change. It's something you learn to live with. It'll be fine."

Touched, Jinora's grin widened. "Thanks Kai." She turned back to the horizon. "You know, I can't wait to see how you look in acolyte robes."

"Acolyte robes?" Kai repeated, brow furrowing.

"Mm hmm. Like mine."

"But – but I can't wear orange," he protested. "It doesn't look flattering on anyone, 'side's you."

Jinora flushed. "You'll look fine Kai, besides, its tradition. Unless you want to wear the clothes you are now every day for the rest of your life. Besides, it's not like anyone else will be at the Temple besides the airbenders and acolytes, who are all wearing the same thing, more or less."

"Okay, I guess," Kai said sourly.

She nudged his shoulder. "Come on, smile." Kai put on a ridiculous, strained smile. Jinora giggled. "A real one, please." Kai relented and it caused her to giggle again.

* * *

><p>It took a little while to get everyone sorted. All of the boys went off with her dad and Meelo to one side of the Temple to get dressed, and Jinora and Ikki took the girls to the other side. Jinora helped the new airbending girls find robes that fit them, sometimes with difficulty. Suluk, a girl on the larger side, with her hair pulled back in a bun, seemed especially reluctant and quiet about the new uniform. Jinora wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what to say, so she kept her mouth shut.<p>

While the new airbender girls changed, Jinora waited outside the room. One by one, the girls stepped in the hall, all looking fantastic in their robes of yellow and orange. "You all look lovely," Jinora told them happily. Most of the girls grinned nervously; Suluk gave her the tiniest smile, but a smile all the same. Jinora grinned widely back.

"I'll take you to the Meditation Pavilion," Jinora announced. Her father had ensured that she would be able to find her way around the Temple by helping her study maps of its structure. The new airbenders, however, would need to have time to get used to its various corridors and passages. The Meditation Pavilion was one of the largest places of the Temple, and probably the easiest to find, so she and Tenzin had made it their meet-up spot.

Jinora almost got lost once, but luckily she remembered to turn right, not left, at the statue of an elaborately carved sky bison. The hallway opened up to a large pavilion, with the boys and her father waiting there for her. All of the airbenders were now in their new robes – admittedly, some looked a little uncomfortable, and for a few the robes were too tight, but the sight of it made her eyes suddenly wet: her people had truly been brought back, even if they weren't quite her people yet.

"As this is the place where you will come each morning before breakfast for meditation, I thought it would be best for you to know how to come from here to the dining hall," Tenzin explained. "Please, follow me. The air acolytes have prepared a feast."

Jinora joined the throng of airbenders, and heard Kai's voice chirp, "Hey," from beside her. She turned to look at him, and heat crept up to her cheeks. The orange and yellow stood out in bright contrast with his skin and hair; it made him seem… different. More grown up. Happier, than the boy who had stood in the green and white clothes from the Earth Kingdom just a little less than a month before. And he looked quite handsome, something Jinora couldn't ignore.

"And you said you couldn't 'pull off' orange," she teased. Kai flushed.

"So, a feast hmm?" he asked, clearly looking for a way to change the subject. "I can't wait. I guess no meat though?"

"No meat," she confirmed. "Only tofu and nuts, lots of fruits and salads. You should get used to it pretty quickly, it's tasty. I've never known anything otherwise, though, I've never had meat."

Kai's eyebrows shot up. "_Never_?"

Jinora smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Never," she repeated. "Air nomads believe all life is sacred, even the life of the tiniest spider-fly, caught in its own web. That's the main reason why we were pacifists, and never had an army."

Which reminded her – and surely Kai judging by his frown – of Earth Queen Hou-Ting. "I hope Korra takes the Earth Queen down. Or somebody does."

"I'm sure she will," Jinora said gently. "How's your side, by the way?"

"Its fine," Kai mumbled, pressing a hand to it. He didn't wince, which Jinora took as a good sign, even if she was no Healer like her Aunt Kya.

"Not to mention, the Avatar's had to deal with plenty of corrupt leaders in the past, like Avatar Kyoshi and Avatar Roku. Besides, a tyrant's time in power depends only on how long the oppressed are willing to withstand the oppression."

Kai half-smiled. "When did you get so wise?"

"I've always been wise. We still have a lot to learn about each other, after all," Jinora replied. "It's what best friends do."

Kai looked at her uncertainly. "Like what? Our favourite colours and stuff?"

Jinora grinned. "Along those lines, yes. For now," she gestured to the table in front of them, "dinner."

Little red poufs surrounded the wooden tables, all attached by one end around the room, forming an almost complete square. Acolytes were swarming around, carrying platters of food.

Tenzin took a seat at the head of the table, and Jinora took the seat beside him. Kai looked at a loss of what to do, so Jinora patted the cushion next to her. Slightly hesitant, surely because of Tenzin, and how the airbending master still didn't fully trust him, Kai took the seat next to her anyway. The other airbenders sat down all around the table. There weren't enough to fill all the spots: the spots that remained were taken by the acolytes.

"What're these?" Kai asked, holding up a dumpling with little green mush poking out of the folds.

"Moon peach leaf dumplings," Jinora said, putting a couple onto her own plate. "They're really good, try it."

Kai bit into it slowly. Then, he started chewing and his eyes lit up. "This is really good," he said, still chewing.

"My mom's recipe," Jinora stifled a smile.

Kai clamped his mouth shut and waited until he had swallowed to take another bite. "Recommend anything else?"

Jinora pointed out a few dishes, but soon Kai had tried one of everything. His appetite seemed to be endless, yet he was still done eating sooner than anyone else. And then, Jinora realized why. On the streets, he wouldn't have known when his next meal was coming, if it was coming at all, nor how big it would be, so had learned to eat as much as possible. A survival tactic.

Jinora frowned, her eyes sad, before a grin crept across her face. She leaned over and nudged Kai gently in the side. "You might want to slow down," she advised. "There's still dessert."

Kai swallowed his mouthful of food. He lowered his voice, "I've, uh, never really had dessert before," he admitted.

Jinora smiled fondly at him. "Then make sure you try the Bacui berries. They're a delicacy from Omashu, we don't get them very often, even in Republic City."

Kai ladled a spoonful of the tiny red berries onto his plate and popped a few into his mouth. A content expression came across his face. "Mmm," he sighed. "Where have these been all my life?"

Jinora bit back a tiny giggle. "Don't each too many or you'll get sick. And let me have some, anyway."

She reached for the ladle at the same time as Kai; their fingers brushed together and Jinora instantly withdrew her hand, as did Kai. Jinora blushed. Kai quickly overcame the split second of awkwardness, giving her a lopsided grin.

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the ladle. Beaming, Jinora helped herself to the berries.

As far as first days went, this would had to have the best.

* * *

><p>Kai did <em>not <em>understand this whole meditation thing. He was sitting in his very first lesson as an airbender, and well, it was really dull. Tenzin was sitting at the top of the Meditation Pavilion, which overlooked the nearby valley. Unlike the other airbenders, Kai hadn't gotten lost; he was good at memorizing directions, a habit he had picked up from the streets.

Honestly, Kai tried his best to let his mind empty, but he couldn't manage it. His mind kept wandering off to the gliders he had seen propped up against a wall for a lesson later that week, to how the very first time he had seen Jinora, she had been using a glider to fly… Or how sky bison could fly. Flying would be so awesome. Why couldn't they have that lesson instead of this one?

Kai opened his eye a crack to peek at the other airbenders. It looked like Yung had fallen asleep. The only ones who didn't seem to be straining themselves, or who hadn't given up, were Otaku, sitting here with an ecstatic grin, Tenzin, and Jinora. The girl sat there perfectly at ease, her face relaxed, her lips parted ever so slightly…

Jinora's eye opened and caught his eye. Kai grinned sheepishly, turning pink. "I'm bored," he mouthed. Jinora gave him a disapproving look, but her eyes were gleaming with amusement.

"Not much longer," she mouthed back. She brought her finger up to her lips. "Shh." She turned away from her, her eyes shut, but a smile on her face all the same.

Trying to follow her lead, Kai shut his eyes, but now his mind kept drifting off to breakfast; they hadn't had breakfast yet. His stomach growled. Maybe there would be more Bacui berries at breakfast. Or pastries? Mmm, warm bread with syrup, just the right amount. His stomach rumbled loudly and Kai shut his eyes firmly, burning with embarrassment, hoping no one had heard.

He stole a look at Jinora, who was now trying not to smile but failing. Kai shut his eyes again, determined to keep his close, but he couldn't get Jinora's easy-going smiles – ones she had directed at _him – _out of his head. His stomach, still hungry, did a flip-flop.

There was no way, today at least, he would get the hang of this meditation thing. He groaned with relief as he got to his feet once Tenzin had said, "Let's take break for breakfast."

Kai jabbed Yung in the side with his elbow. "Wake up," he whispered. The older boy awoke with a start. "Breakfast now."

Yung grinned guiltily. "Thanks," he said.

Kai smiled. "Anytime." His smile grew when Jinora made her way through the group to walk next to him. "So what's for breakfast?"

"You'll see," she said, a twinkle in her eyes, like the stars. Her eyes really were pretty, like the stars, Kai realized, and then tore his gaze away in case he had been staring. With Jinora it was hard to tell sometimes.

Yung smirked at him, a knowing look in his eyes. "Hmm," he hummed, smiling at Kai, as if he knew something he didn't. Kai felt a short pang of annoyance.

Rolling his eyes, Kai turned to Jinora. "So when're we learning how to fly with the gliders?"

"In a few days, it depends on where everyone is," Jinora explained. "It takes time, and Dad and I have to teach everyone one at a time, for safety. Since you're doing so well Kai, you'll probably one of the first to learn how to glide."

Kai blushed furiously. "Really?"

"Mm hmm," Jinora affirmed. "You're good."

There was spring in Kai's step for the rest of the morning.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this, love you guys! :)<strong>


	9. Catch Me

CHAPTER EIGHT: Catch Me

* * *

><p><em>"I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling."<br>_– Arms, Christina Perri

* * *

><p>Kai found it hard to believe that a whole week and a half of being at the Northern Air Temple had already passed. His days had changed from a haphazard of crooked streets and small meals to one of a sturdy routine. Wake up call at 7:00 in the morning, meditation, breakfast, break, training, break, lunch, history lessons, break, and then the rest of the day was free. He couldn't deny, it was a pretty sweet deal. Even if Tenzin's history lessons were the most boring thing <em>ever.<em>

But the one thing that always made his day a good one was Jinora. Kai had fully taken her word on what best friends do, and they had spent the last two weeks getting to know each other pretty darn well, in Kai's opinion. At the very least, she knew him better than anyone else. She knew that his favourite colour was brown, that he didn't know how to read (he was getting better with her lessons), he loved Bacui berries, and that he found Air Nomad history pretty boring when Tenzin taught it, but it was actually okay when she taught him about it.

And in turn, it was fun getting to know her. So far, he had learned that her favourite colour was green, _The Adventures of Avatar Aang _was her favourite book, she loved pandalilies, and she wanted to travel across the world like her grandfather and Gran-Gran had done.

The most important thing about her travels though, was her map, and she was going to show him today.

Kai had let Jinora lead him to the large library in the Temple. It was mostly empty, except for a couple of airbenders, Otaku and Kushala, a girl with glasses and messy hair, were reading together.

"Wait here," Jinora told him when they took a seat at one of the empty tables. "I'll be right back."

A few moments later when Jinora returned, she had a scroll held gingerly in her hand and a pen. She laid the scroll out before him. "_This _is my map," Jinora said. "The places with little markings are places I want to go."

Kai could see many places in the Earth Kingdom marked up, Omashu and the Great Divide among them, the cities and places visible by large circles not added by pen ink, but printed on. Leading up to the Southern Air Temple was the Patola Mountain Range, also with a little star as a marking. Near the Southern Air Temple there was a little mark too, at the Patola Mountain Range. Kai's eyes roved over the map, and when he was done, he found Jinora looking at him expectantly.

"This is amazing Jinora," he said, giving her a smile, which Jinora returned. "All of these places look so cool."

Jinora pushed the pen into his hands. "You pick a spot."

Kai stared at her, wide eyed. "But this is your map!"

Jinora's eyes softened, a gentle look coming across her face. "And you're my best friend." Kai still looked doubtful. "Go on, anywhere you want," she added.

Kai's hand hovered over the map, hesitant to press the pen onto the paper. What if he screwed up or something? Nobody had ever shared something that was obviously really important to them with him before... He looked to Jinora, and she gave him an encouraging nod. He swallowed, and his eyes landed in the Fire Nation. Weren't there old ruins of an ancient civilization there? He scanned the nation for it; there it was. The Sun Warrior Ruins. Nervously, Kai circled the small picture of rubble. He looked up at Jinora again, this time for approval.

She was beaming at him. "I never even thought of going there, but it would be so cool. Thank you Kai."

Slowly, Kai grinned back. "You're welcome Jinora..." He gathered up his courage. "Just make sure when you go there, you bring me along." It was scary, in a way, to suggest that in a few years he would still be here, that Jinora would still be his friend - a tightness was building up in his chest. Nothing good ever lasted long and he just wanted this to stay _so badly. _

Jinora smiled softly. "Of course."

The tightness evaporated immediately. Maybe this time something good _would _last.

* * *

><p>Jinora was taking a bite of toast at breakfast a few days later when Kai plopped down in the seat next to her, his face lit up with a huge smile and a lot more energy than usual this early in the morning. "Today's the day!" he said excitedly.<p>

Jinora's eyes gleamed with amusement as she offered him a tiny smile. "Gliding is a lot harder than it looks, Kai," she told him. "That's why Dad had to postpone the lessons. But," she continued, her smile growing, "you are the first one to get trained, and I'm the one teaching you. Since we're around the same height and weight, we need to manipulate the air currents the same way. The others are going to be trained one-on-one with my dad over the following days."

"Thank the Spirits you're my Sifu," Kai said, and Jinora flushed. "This is gonna be so much fun now."

* * *

><p>Or, maybe not. Standing on a balcony that afternoon, a glider clutched in his hand, Kai wasn't so sure. What if he fell? What if he hurt himself? Or worse, what if he made a fool of himself in front of Jinora? Nothing would be worse than that! Jinora had made it look so easy, but now confronted with the task himself, it was terrifying.<p>

"It's natural to be nervous Kai," Jinora said reassuringly. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be with you every step of the way." Despite his nerves, Kai felt himself relax. "I'll show you again, okay?"

"Okay," he managed out, turning his attention onto her. She clutched her glider tightly, and she went through the movements slowly, stepping off the balcony with grace, her glider snapping out with ease as she did a simple circle before landing again. Kai watched her intently, and thought that, _maybe _he could give it a shot now; Jinora was a great teacher, after all.

"Ready to give it a try?" Jinora asked, giving him a bright smile.

"I think so," Kai replied, his confidence growing.

"Don't worry, if you start to drop in altitude, I'll catch you," Jinora promised, and Kai found himself trusting her. If he couldn't trust her, who could he trust?

Kai took a step off the balcony, his glider springing open, catching the air currents. He did his best to copy the movements Jinora had done, and made a sloppy circle before landing. It was a start, at the very least. Kai beamed at Jinora, feeling immensely proud of himself. Jinora returned the smile.

"That was really good Kai," she praised, and he felt heat creep up his neck and spread over his face.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks Jinora." He looked at the sky - now he could _fly._ How cool was that? "Can we start doing tricks now?" he asked eagerly, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Jinora chuckled softly. "I think we should make sure you've nailed the basics first, don't you think?"

Kai grinned sheepishly. "Er, yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Jinora took a step back to study his movements as he went through the simple motions again, gently critiquing when she needed to. She was surprised at how quickly he had taken to it; it had taken Meelo much longer (then again, she was sure the fact that Meelo could barely sit still for more than two minutes had something to do with it too).

After a few more times, Kai grew more and more confident, and Jinora could see his concentration slipping as his excitement took over. It was a good thing too - she had just enough time to snap her glider open as Kai made the wrong movement, faltered and began to fall. Jinora dove after him, wrapping an arm around his torso tightly and pulling him against her side, airbending with her legs to shoot them upwards onto the balcony again. The fall wouldn't have been serious - the reason she chose this balcony in the first place - but it definitely would've hurt.

They landed, both breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" Jinora said worriedly, turning her head to look at him and finding herself nose to nose with him.

"Yeah," Kai said breathlessly. "Yeah, I'm fine..." His green eyes bore into hers. Jinora realized she still had an arm wrapped around him and quickly retracted it, and they broke apart. "Thanks Jinora," Kai said, blushing furiously, rubbing the back of his neck again. His free hand went up to fidget with the suspenders that were no longer there, and dropped to his side.

"You're welcome," Jinora said, her face still red. "I think this is enough for today, we'll work more tomorrow. Besides," she glanced inside the Temple, a bell ringing loudly, "it's lunch time."

Kai smiled at her, a mischevious glint in his eye. "Race ya!" And he went off running, his glider swinging in one hand.

"No fair!" Jinora laughed, taking off after him. "That's cheating!"

* * *

><p>"Dad," Jinora said at dinner a few days later, "are Mom, Ikki, Meelo, Rohan and Auntie Kya arriving today?" She had asked the question nearly every day, although unfortunately Tenzin had been unable to give a straight answer; traveling by sky bison sometimes took longer, and they had predicted it would be a three to four day trip.<p>

"Actually," Tenzin said, smiling, and Jinora tuned back into the conversation, "they're coming tomorrow, mid-afternoon."

Excitement built up in her stomach. She hadn't seen any of them in nearly a month, the longest period of separation she had ever known from them. Being at the Temple with the other airbenders and Kai was great, but she missed the rest of her family terribly (well, maybe not when Ikki and Meelo got on her nerves, but that was besides the point).

"Your mom's coming?" Kai asked, sitting in his usual seat next to her.

"Mm hmm," Jinora affirmed. "I can't wait for her to meet you, although you probably want to avoid Ikki and Meelo."

"You - you want _me _to meet your mom?" Kai said in disbelief.

Jinora gave him a kind smile. "Of course, silly. You're my best friend."

Kai returned her smile slowly. "Yeah, okay. I can't wait then." Jinora was still smiling at him, and Kai wasn't sure what she wanted him to do, so to distract himself to took a sip of his lychee juice, a drink that had quickly become his favourite.

When he set his cup down again, he heard a soft giggle. He looked at Jinora, confused. "What?"

"Lychee juice mustache," she said, still fighting down laughter. Kai wiped it off his face, looking at her fondly. He was still getting used to this 'best friend' stuff, but he was definitely okay with it.

* * *

><p><strong>cries over my babies. Next chapter is "Original Airbenders" &amp; aftermath so I am very excited, I hope you are too. I'd love to hear your thoughts, leave a review in the box below. Thank you for reading. <strong>

**A big thanks to Nadogirl18 for helping me with this chapter. :)**


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